A federal jury in Charlotte, North Carolina, found Uber Technologies Inc. liable on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, for an assault involving a driver on its platform. The jury awarded the plaintiff, Brianna Mensing, $5,000 in compensatory damages following a weeklong trial that scrutinized the company’s safety protocols and legal responsibilities. While the financial award is significantly lower than previous verdicts in similar litigation, the finding of liability marks a critical development in the ongoing legal challenges regarding Uber’s responsibility for the safety of individuals using its ride-sharing application.
The case, which was tried in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, centered on an incident from March 2019. The plaintiff testified that during a ride near Raleigh, the driver grabbed her inner thigh and made inappropriate comments, prompting her to flee the vehicle. The trial was the second bellwether case to reach a verdict in a consolidated multi-district litigation that includes more than 3,300 similar claims across the United States. These test cases are intended to help both sides evaluate the strengths of their arguments and the potential value of remaining claims.
A pivotal factor in the jury’s decision was a pretrial ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer, who is overseeing the broader litigation. Judge Breyer determined that under North Carolina law, Uber operates as a common carrier. This designation imposes a non-delegable duty of care on the company to ensure the safety of its passengers, effectively preventing Uber from shielding itself from liability by classifying drivers as independent contractors. Uber has long maintained that it is a technology platform rather than a transportation provider, an argument the court rejected in this instance.
During the trial, Uber’s legal team contested the plaintiff’s account, highlighting that the incident was not reported to law enforcement or the company until the lawsuit was filed years later. Defense attorneys also pointed to the plaintiff’s personal history in an attempt to characterize her as an unreliable witness. However, the jury ultimately found Uber negligent in its duty to protect the passenger, concluding that the assault occurred as described.
In an official statement following the verdict, an Uber spokesperson noted that the $5,000 award represents a tiny fraction of the damages originally sought and argued that the jury had been incorrectly instructed on the legal standards for liability. The company confirmed its intention to appeal the verdict. Conversely, William Smith, an attorney for the plaintiff, described the outcome as a great result, stating that the jury’s decision to hold the company accountable validates the survivor’s testimony despite the company’s defense strategies.
This verdict follows a February 2026 decision in Arizona where a jury awarded $8.5 million to a different plaintiff in a separate bellwether trial. As thousands of cases remain pending, these early trials serve as indicators for potential settlement values and the legal viability of claims against the gig economy giant.